There are some of the states associated with a kundalini awakening that I have seen mentioned that I would very much like to anchor and never really leave. Particularly those states of openness and empathy, feelings of interconnection and oneness, perceiving others as part of myself instead of as other.

Now, from what I have read and experienced myself I believe that this is ultimately possible and that getting there is a result of truly releasing all selfishness. I think the desire and intention actually does a lot of the work. As I talk with you guys, as I pray and meditate, I do all of that with the intention of releasing every bit of fear and doubt and opening up farther; and it does seem to be working, albeit slowly.

I tend to do a lot with affirmations:

I AM a being of pure love and light.

I AM divine.

I AM a Child of God, an angel incarnate.

I love God. I love life. I love all of creation.

I see The Light in all I meet.

I love God and He loves me.

I AM God's Love made manifest. I AM The Light in human form.


Does anyone have any thoughts on other affirmations I should use or exercises to try?

hrtsongmeditation, I use the Buddha's own description of the altered states of consciousness associated with Jhana, as a guide for what level of meditative absorption I have reached. From my experience, and the reports of others, it is in the 3rd Jhana (a state of non-perception, when the veils of perception are lifted, when one feels completely 'empty' ), that I experience what you mention as "states of openness and empathy, feelings of interconnection and oneness, perceiving others as part of myself instead of as other."

Kundalini itself, I would say, is energy, and I have read some who experience OOB (out of body, or Jhana 5-8 ), say that Kundalini comes in its fullest force as the energy which fires one into the non-material domains. That means, after one has reached 4th Jhana, then at some point, in order to break through into the OOB experience, the sleeping serpent awakens, and propels one OOB.

I had a full classical Kundalini awakening about 15 years ago, a spontaneous awakening, while I have experienced similar types of phenomenon since then, nothing compares to that initial release. Some argue, by the Buddha's own definition, that if we reach 4th Jhana, and are able to enter that state, and maintain that general level of absorption through out the day, then we can say that person is enlightened (enlightened enough!). But the OOB will follow by necessity (I would speculate).



It will release of its own accord, there is nothing to 'do' (as they say), if you experience 2nd Jhana, the cessation of thought, in your meditation, then you will indeed know that it is possible.



Try this: sit or lie down, and bring your attention to the breath - the actual sensation of the air passing in and out of the nostrils, or you could count breaths, or what I prefer is to bring attention to the finger tips, the palms, the feet and toes, until you begin to feel tingling, allow that to grow and amplify, it will move up your arms and legs and very very gradually begin to saturate the whole body. In this state, you are in first Jhana, and it is defined as a very sweet, pleasant abiding. You are moving away from the body to the non-sensory 'energy' of 'kundalini' or what the Buddha described as 'Viriya' (Virility is where this word come from). Stay with this tingling energy, it will come to a saturation point all by itself, and then you may feel a sudden 'lift' into 2nd Jhana, it is like the rug has all of a sudden been pulled out from under you, the thought stream stops (more or less), and you are in a dimensionless space, infinite space, the concentration of energy will most likely be in the heart chakra, it feels like someone has just lifted a huge weight off of your chest, all stress and anxiety vanish and the feeling is blissful and ecstatic. From there you will have an affirmation unlike any you have ever experienced.

Hopefully that answers some of your questions!

I've actually never had any luck with any of the more passive types of meditation. Either my mind wanders too much or I end up falling asleep. I have tried, but the closest I have ever really been able to come to mental silence is the single pointed focus I get with affirmations. And even then I often need caffeine to keep my mind from wandering.

And while I can occasionally visualize, that only really happens spontaneously. It's kind of hard to describe what I mean, I can do visualization; but, if there is even the least bit of conscious effort I can't. Presumably the part of my brain responsible for the visualization and the part responsible for rationality and discipline don't really work well simultaneously.

Affirmations have always been the answer for me. They allow me to practice regularly and make slow, but steady progress. I continually get more open and loving. I have been letting go of my ego and developing patience. I have bit by bit been dealing with the fear that has been holding me back.

Honestly, my biggest issue is mostly just impatience. I am getting results and do not wish to imply that I'm not. But, I dislike it when I experience temptation and I would rather be free of all selfishness. I dislike feeling like I have to fight myself to be kind to the people I care about. And, I want the part of my mind that resists kindness and compassion silenced. I am overcoming my selfish tendencies; but, again, I would rather the process speed up a bit. I don't really know if it's possible. I don't know if DMT would be a good idea or whether I should just maintain self discipline and allow the process to be slow. Is it really beneficial for me and my needs or is it cutting corners and taking shortcuts?

Is there a shortcut to greater patience? It seems unlikely. But, DMT experiences can transform a persons worldview. If they allowed me to more fully tune in to the eternal part of myself than the patience of my soul could flow naturally to my mind. Maybe the path of discipline, in this case, is unnecessarily difficult and taxing.

Thanks to my affirmations I do often get a powerful feeling of vibrational energy which flows up my left leg, up my spine and all the way to the top of my head. I get this pretty much every time I meditate. I have on occasion had out of body experiences and had glimpses of hyperspace; but, I would say that I'm standing at the door and haven't yet been able to really walk through it.

I'm very eager to go deeper and see what there is to see. I have been trying for 15 yrs now and I just want to get to the next level.

Once you have tried DMT, do let us know, I am also curious how this might transform my world view. Very much looking forward to that!

It is interesting though, how I often hear experienced practitioners say that after all that they end up returning to a daily meditation practice. Or a meditation practice with the occasional trip.

In the recent London Reel Podcast with Alexander Ward, who has done an amazing 40+ trips! His conclusions at the end are that DMT offers a window onto the spirit domain but not a door, and that he believes that a meditation practice may open that door.

Personally, my instinct, and past experience to date, tells me that that is true, and will be the case. But never the less, it can only broaden your worldview to encompass a richer, more deeply textured, understanding of all that is.

Re a wandering mind, that is quite normal, have you tried Yoga Nidra? I used to find it helped focus my attention, and worked miracles, would highly recommend giving it a try.

I have mentioned elsewhere that my thought is that psychedelics are a crutch. This is not a bad thing, people need and crutches all the time. But, to my mind it's important to recognize it as a crutch and treat it as such. The purpose of a crutch is to provide assistance to someone who is weak; often, over time through using the crutches strength is regained and people are able to do without.

I think this is part of why psychedelics are usually non-addictive. Whether it is a deep instinct or whether the spirit of the DMT molecule reveals it this truth tends to come out.

The question that I get stuck on really boils down is using psychedelics giving in to impatience and ultimately a bad idea in terms of spiritual growth and progress or is it humility and recognizing that I need the help. Do I need help or do I just want help? That is the question that weighs on my mind and it's a question that only I can really answer.

No, I haven't tried Yoga Nidra. I'm not actually aware of that one would you describe?

I personally think that psychedelics can be used in many different ways, becoming a crutch for some, but a powerful tool for others. It does depend on how they are used. And I would guess then that this is the crux of the debate re legalization.

Yoga Nidra is another kind of tool, again powerful yet very simple, there is much info on the net about it, have a search.

There are many Cd's avaialble, some are good, it will depend on what sort of voice and speed and manner is relaxing for you, put them on your ipod, and just lie back and relax!

It's also worth mentioning that while I have not had the "classical" kundalini awakening experience at some point, I'm reasonably sure that I've already awakened or at least that I'm in the midst of an ongoing awakening.

There are lots of sources that say that kundalini can awaken spontaneously or progressively over the years through discipline. For me it seems to be a progressive thing over the years. The energy keeps getting more intense over time. Every time I meditate I feel the energy rise and flow up my spine towards the top of my head. I definitely feel it more in my head and in my upper chakras at the moment, but it took me a while to get there. Sometimes I will still feel the energy jumping around through my body, presumably seeking weak spots in need of healing.

But, all in all, it's very analogous to my progress with physical exercise. I keep coming back every day and I keep getting stronger; or rather, more patient, more compassionate, more accepting of myself and others. I am able to let go of my fear, bit by bit and keep going forward.

That's actually one of the reasons for my questioning here. I go back and forth between how I view the use of psychedelics. There's part of me that wonders if they aren't the spiritual equivalent of steroids; offering pretty dramatic benefits but with potentially damaging long-term side effects; or whether they are in fact the spiritual teacher and adviser so many see.

But, regardless, my big question is more about anchoring the states of mind associated with kundalini arising; not really the raising itself. If my exercise analogy holds it may not even be possible. The physical effects of exercise can be found daily and offer benefit all day long, but really only arise while exercising. They can only be sustained through prolonged exercise, such as running a marathon.

Maybe the question is in what way does a more enlightened mindset differ from my own. Am I perhaps already "enlightened" and unaware of it? Regardless it seems to me that there will always be room for improvement and need to practice every day. Perhaps the question is moot.

I personally don't find use in affirmative thought or action, simply because I don't see that it matters if I'm a child of the divine, am the light, etc. etc... My will is my own and the power for change is at my command regardless of how I might identify myself. Though I occasionally find it useful in situations where a bulletproof ego is beneficial or necessary, this isn't the case generally. While ideas and words are great, I generally prefer to operate in spite of them and do not pay heed to grand concepts like god and "light" outside of my own encounters with them (and who has time to think at a time like that?). I also prefer pistachios to brazil nuts most of the time.

That being said, my way into these things is primarily directed toward the deconstruction of paradigm as a means to growth (sometimes referred to as "solar". This is in contrast to the method of adopting a paradigm that runs counter to the existing framework and working through that duality as a means to growth (sometimes called "lunar". With the latter method, affirmation is a great tool that can be successfully employed until it is no longer necessary.

Confidence and a certain balance between attachment and indifference seem to me to be the decisive factors in regard to what sort of gimmicks or affirmations are necessary or whether they are at all. Why bother with the affirmation when I know damn well I'm on the right track and equipped to handle it? That attitude alone more than does the job without any effort at all. There's no reason to build myself up when there's no fear of being knocked down. Call me Obi-Wan, screw it.

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In regard to "anchoring kundalini", no worries mate. The effect of your continued hard work (however you do it) is the anchoring of the ecstasy and gnosis that inspired the work in the first place, as you may well have noticed as things progress. It might be the hardest work of all, but at least it pays out what's promised (regardless of how we may misunderstand the promise at first). You get what you work for in this case, so it may well be more graceful simply to go straight to work without hesitation, knowing full well that when you follow your heart and put your shoulder to the wheel, the world will move to meet you simply because you are doing exactly what you intend to and nothing else.
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On a more opinionated note ...I always found tracking the "stages" and defining benchmarks like "enlightenment" to be really restrictive later down the road. Attaining something once held sacred often turns into another ego trip in itself, stages seem to apply that the road has an end... Why count the steps when the horizon is the destination?

I definitely agree. The only use such labels serve is to identify what exactly the next step is.

As to the other stuff, if I had the kind of self confidence you described I wouldn't need the affirmations. One of my ongoing issues is excess humility or perhaps fear masquerading as humility. Either way I often find my forward progress blocked by excessively questioning my decision to go on, which I silence through focus on the affirmations. So, for me, definitely the right tool for the job.

But, in it's way taking psychedelics could be considered an affirmation in its own right. It can be seen as a symbol of my commitment to overcoming the deception of my ego. And, largely that's how I see it and why I am leaning towards at least occasional use to speed along my journey. I suspect that as I see more my confidence will grow and that I will most likely outgrow their use in time.

The more I have pondered these questions the last several days the more I come back to the idea that I can and will continue to progress with or without the aid of psychedelics, but it'll probably be faster and smoother with than without. And, ultimately, if at some point I decide that psychedelics are a mistake I can stop then instead of pre-judging them and missing out on any potential benefit.

I think that the place where ego has been screwing with me is in doubting the "purity" of my own desire to see and explore. Perhaps I have had too much pride and just haven't been willing to trust the aid that is available.

No it is not moot, examine the various mystics and look at how they describe their experiences, there are many similarities - and compare those experiences to people today who also lead a rigorous contemplative life, and again, there will be many similarities. I would say that is a valuable question to ask. And you've hit the nail on the head with the "need to practice everyday," I would also add the need to lead a rigorous contemplative life.

When I read threads here and elsewhere in which every post is claiming 'kundalini awakenings' and 'be careful it can drive you nuts', we see how the term is being used in such a relative way that it has lost all meaning and connection to a clear historical path.

The Buddha happens to have described his experience in detail and offered the clearest practice strategy I have yet to find. The point to get about his path is that Jhana was his vehicle towards obtaining 'enlightenment'; its not the only way, of course, but it's one way, and one way to avoid specious relativism.

A major issue in discussing Jhana is the very poor translations that we have, mainly due to the fact that most translators in fact have no experience with meditation, as is evident here. But it often surprises people to find that mystics did in fact describe their experiences in detail, and in the Buddha's case, offered a clear path to obtain that.

The translation thing is definitely an obstacle. I've read a fair number of books on Buddhism and never really found something that clicked right with me. I don't actually recall coming across a description of the Jhanas that you have been describing. It may well be that with the books I read the description wasn't comprehensible enough to really stick with me.

But, for the moment what I'm doing seems to be working, albeit slower than I would prefer. I kind of expected it to take more like 2 or 3 yrs to learn to astrally project, not to still be struggling with it after 15.